Hugh Jackman breaks down in tears recalling mum’s abandonment

Hugh Jackman broke down in tears during a US television interview as he recalled the moment his mum abandoned him when he was just eight years old.

The 44-year-old star’s father, Chris, took on single-parent duties after his wife, Grace Watson, fled Australia to return to her native England.

Hugh opened up about her sudden departure in a candid new chat with America’s 60 Minutes, but struggled to keep his emotions under control as he shared his heartbreak. ‘I can remember the morning she left. It's weird the things you pick up. I remember her being in a towel around her head and saying goodbye… must have been the way she said goodbye,’ he recalled in the taped interview, which went to air on December 9. ‘As I went off to school, when I came back, there was no one there in the house. The next day there was a telegram from England – Mum was there. And then that was it. I don't think she thought for a second it would be forever. I think she thought it was, “I just need to get away, and I'll come back.” Dad used to pray every night that Mum would come back.’

Hugh also went on to praise his dad, and wiped away tears as he explained, ‘My father is a rock. My father is my rock. It's where I learned everything about loyalty, dependability, being there day in, day out, no matter what. [His advice was] it's always about the family. It's not about work.’